


Fear and Love

by DoggyTwoShoes



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Rated teen for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27628286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoggyTwoShoes/pseuds/DoggyTwoShoes
Summary: Fear was never something that Tegan had expected to feel when she was around her former best friend, but it was definitely what she felt now. What with Dakota standing there, an insufferable smirk on her face and her hair down, looking unfairly attractive, if Tegan may add, in casual clothes, she didn’t paint as intimidating a picture as she would like to think. Yet Tegan knew what she was capable of, better than anyone, and she also knew that she was all but defenseless with her bad knee.Tegan is stuck rehabbing her latest ACL tear on her own, until she isn’t.
Relationships: Dakota Kai/Tegan Nox, Tegan Nox/Dakota Kai, Tegan Nox/Dakota Kai | Evie
Kudos: 15





	Fear and Love

Being injured sucked. Tegan Nox could attest to that more than most people. 

She had suffered more ACL tears in her life than most professional sports teams did in a season, and each time couldn’t have come at a worse time. 

1: Ending a potential soccer career before it really began.

2: Ending dreams of coming to WWE before they even began.

3: Ending a dream of winning the Mae Young Classic, this time when she could almost feel the win. Even worse, her (then) best friend, Dakota Kai, suffered similar injuries at the same time.

4: Ending a dream of becoming NXT Women’s Champion, this time right when she was in the thick of things. Even worse, another (former) best friend, Candice LeRae, has been the one to do the injuring.

So she could attest to the pain, both physical and emotional, of injury.

This time was even worse, because she had always had someone there with her to help her rehab. Dakota, and Candice, and others had always been there to help her. But then Dakota got sick of toiling and took out her aggression on her, and tried to be the first ex best friend to injure her ACL, and Candice joined the stupid ‘Gargano Way’ with her husband, which involved a stupid number of wheels and televisions, and took out her aggression on her, and actually injured her ACL.

And that wasn’t to say she didn’t have other friends. Shotzi was great, but she was focused on her own rapidly breaking out career and couldn’t be there for her like Dakota and Candice had. Rhea was nice too, but she was too busy trying to reclaim the NXT Women’s Championship, only able to check in every once in a while. Mia was busy with something unbelievably stupid on Monday Night Raw and didn’t ever seem to actually be herself anymore, and Io wasn’t really a friend. So this one was the worst of the injuries.

“You know, I really miss having a ‘big sister,’ or a ‘best friend,’ in moments like these,” Tegan mutters to herself as she hobbles from her bedroom and down the hall to her kitchen, trying to find something easy to make herself to eat. “And in all moments, really.” 

Tegan was drawn from her reverie by a sharp knock on her door, causing her to jolt and inadvertently cry out from the pain in her knee, even with the brace.

“If you know me, you know where the spare key is! If not, go away!” Tegan shouts, deciding it not worth the pain to just gobble over to the door. She figured it would probably be Shotzi, or maybe even Rhea, and they wouldn’t appreciate the effort she would put in to walk over to the door, instead chastising her for being up instead of trying to rest.

Sure enough, Tegan soon heard a click to her lock, as she turned back to her kitchen. “Look, I know I’m not supposed to be walking around, but what am I...” Tegan was cut off in shock as she turned and saw who was actually standing there. “ _Dakota_.”

Fear was never something that Tegan had expected to feel when she was around her former best friend, but it was definitely what she felt now. What with Dakota standing there, an insufferable smirk on her face and her hair down, looking unfairly attractive, if Tegan may add, in casual clothes, she didn’t paint as intimidating a picture as she would like to think. Yet Tegan knew what she was capable of, better than anyone, and she also knew that she was all but defenseless with her bad knee.

“What do you want?” Tegan asks, resisting the urge to toss an egg at Dakota. The last time she had started a food fight, she had smashed a TV and gotten her ACL torn. 

“Can’t a woman come to check in on their injured best friend?” Dakota asks in a tone that Tegan could detect only a hint of sincerity in, also detecting some mockery and cockiness.

“Sure, she can, but I asked what _you_ wanted and were doing here.” Tegan responds with a roll to her eyes, still keeping her gaze trained on Dakota, a hand in her pocket and on her cellphone, the other on the counter to lean on for support.

“I’m not here to hurt you, if that’s what you think,” Dakota says with a scoff, Tegan chuckling in response.

“Excuse me if I don’t believe that.” Tegan never would’ve thought that she would believe Dakota would ever hurt her, now she wouldn’t believe that Dakota wouldn’t hurt her. 

“Listen, I’m just here out of the kindness of my heart. But if you don’t want me here, I can just leave!” Dakota says, clearly firing up a little.

“Good, because I never invited you.” Tegan responds, rolling her eyes and turning back to her kitchen. She could hear Dakota mutter something under her breath before turning towards the door. And Tegan was content to let her leave, until...

“OW! DAMMIT!” Tegan cries out, having taken a wrong step and her leg, even in the knee brace, gave out and sent her down to the floor. And, faster than she would’ve expected, Dakota had shut the door and was by her side.

“Are you okay?” Dakota asks in a tone softer and more gentle than Tegan, or anyone, had heard from her in a long time.

“Go away! I’m...fine...” Tegan says as she grits her teeth and tries to use her counter to pull herself up. “AH! Fuck!” Tegan cries out, her leg giving out again as she feels tears spring to her eyes, just from the pain and the unfair situation.

“Hey, hey, easy now.” Dakota mutters soothingly, putting a hand on Tegan’s back, the act oddly relaxing for Tegan. She was reminded of how well the Kiwi knew her, and how much she missed her, just in that one simple action.

“Why?” Tegan mutters, confused at the almost complete 180 that Dakota was displaying in her attitude, it confused the Welsh-Woman.

“Come on, let’s get you back to bed.” Dakota says, pointedly ignoring the question as she wraps one of Tegan’s arms over her shoulder, trying to help her up to her feet. 

With aid from her former friend, Tegan managed to get back to her feet with little weight on her leg. However, as she took her first step. 

“Ow!” Tegan cries out, Dakota looking at her in pure concern. “I’m fine.” Tegan waves her off, trying to take another step before Dakota stops her.

“No you’re not.” She says, scooping Tegan up into a bridal style carry, shocking Tegan with her strength. 

“You’ve been working out,” Tegan says, complimentary and blushing slightly as she instinctively leans into Dakota while she starts carrying her to her room. 

“Shut up,” Dakota says through gritted teeth, clearly struggling as she carries Tegan. To her credit, Dakota wasn’t giving up, making it to Tegan’s bedroom and bed and managing to gently set her into it. 

“There’s a reason Raquel’s the powerhouse,” Dakota says, taking a seat next to Tegan and taking a few breaths to regain her composure. 

“I thought you were pretty strong,” Tegan says, feeling a bit dizzy from being carried by her, “And thank you, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you weren’t here.”

And that scared Tegan, being helpless until Shotzi or Rhea stopped by, or until she managed to pull out her phone and call someone. 

“Don’t worry Tegan, there’s nothing to it. I’m not heartless, I wouldn’t have left you there,” Dakota says, before adding in something under her breath. 

“What was that?” Tegan asks as she tilts her head to the side, slightly confused. Dakota spoke slightly louder, but still inaudible to Tegan. “Please Dakota, what did you say?”

“I said ‘Not Again!’” Dakota shouts, causing Tegan to wince. “I said I wouldn’t have left you there again.” 

_Tegan remembered that well. She had been backstage a couple weeks after Dakota had betrayed her at War Games, getting her knee checked out by doctors. She had been cleared to walk with a brace, and had been doing just that when it gave out, eerily similar to how it had today. She could only crawl, drag herself and whimper. She had thought she was saved when she heard footsteps walking by, only to look up and see the smirking face of her former best friend._

__

__

_“Please Dakota...” Tegan had said, instinctively reaching out for the Kiwi. Only, that day, Dakota had just laughed at her and walked away, leaving Tegan reaching for a woman she didn’t even think existed anymore._

“That really hurt me,” Tegan says in the present day, looking at Dakota shakily, “More than the knee injury.” 

“I know that Tegan, fuck, I know that,” Dakota says, now standing up as she crosses the room, almost like she was going to leave, only to walk back and look down at her, only, instead of humor and a condescending aura in her eyes, there was caring, sorrow and another emotion Tegan couldn’t identify. “I know that, and I’m sorry.”

“About a year too late with that Kota,” Tegan says dryly, almost instantly regretting it as she saw the hurt flash across Dakota’s face. 

“I know that Tegan! I fucking know that!” Dakota shouts, shaking her head, “This was a mistake, coming here. Look, lay down and call a doctor tomorrow, maybe move in with someone for your rehab so you don’t have to walk around,” Dakota says, changing the subject starting to walk to the door. “Feel better Teegs, and I’m sorry.”

“Wait, Dakota,” Tegan says, causing Dakota to stop in the doorway, looking back at her. “Why then? Why did you do it? I thought...I thought you hated me.” And Tegan suddenly sounded so small, smaller than she had when she learned of any of her injuries.

“Oh Tegan, I could never hate you,” Dakota says as she walks back into the room, sitting down at the foot of the bed and looking down at her hands.

“Why then?” Tegan asks, so confused about it, “Why did you do that to me? Why turn your back, why kick me in the face and the knee?”

“...” Dakota didn’t respond, just continuing to stare at her hands.

“Kota, please, just look at me,” Tegan says, wincing as she sat up and reached forward to tilt Dakota’s head upwards, wanting to see her eyes and see her face. 

“Don’t exert yourself Tegan,” Dakota says, almost emotionlessly as she looks up at her, uncertainty painted across her face and in her eyes.

“Why Dakota?” Tegan repeats, as Kai sighs.

“I was scared, alright Teegs?” Dakota says, sounding a bit like the old her, with some of the new her mixed in.

“Scared of what?” Tegan was still confused, why did her fear cause Dakota to just lash out, and at her of all people?

“I was scared of letting you down Tegan,” Dakota says before laughing incredulously, “At that point, I could only get on the team because someone attacked Mia, it wasn’t me, despite what I said and even she thought, I wasn’t the one who attacked her. And as I stood in that cage with you, all I could see was Shayna choking me out, and me giving up and losing the match for the entire team.” Dakota says, her emotions boiling over, “I figured it was better to kick you in the head, focus on your knee in a way I knew wouldn’t seriously injure you, and bury every ounce of regret and sadness and _fear_ , and make myself something new.”

“And that something new, what did she feel about me, about our friendship?” Tegan asks with a hint of trepidation. 

“That Dakota, she didn’t focus on the good memories with Tegan Nox, she didn’t focus on the friendship,” Dakota admits with a frown, “She focused on whatever she could to make herself right, she focused on Team Ripley last year, laughing at her and Tegan not standing up for her, she focused on Tegan always receiving more of a spotlight than her, even while injured. She tried to bury everything she felt and make herself all about winning, all about herself.”

“Then which Dakota am I talking to right now? I know it’s not the old you, the you you just talked about would have kicked out my knee before it gave out, so who am I talking too?”

Tegan knew it wasn’t the old Dakota, her Dakota, that Dakota may be dead. But this Dakota wasn’t her newer self either, she had the edges and gruffness, but with a softness of the old Dakota combined with something else entirely.

“I don’t really know who I am,” Dakota admits, in a soft tone that she knew from when they were friends before, “But I know that this Dakota, the real Dakota, she...I want you in my life Teegs, I miss you,” She admits, quietly in a voice that had Tegan hanging on every word.

“Why now?” Tegan asks after a few seconds of contemplative silence, “Why is this Dakota coming to me now? It’s been a year, why are you only here now?”

“Because...” Dakota starts before stopping, “I didn’t know what I was missing. I began to think that the angry me, the one that I’ve been since War Games, I thought it was me. And then, you injured your knee again, and god, I laughed when I heard it.” Dakota says before shaking her head incredulously, “I fucking laughed Tegan! Like it was some big joke, like your career possibly ending was the funniest thing in the world! And then Rocky...she asked me what was so funny, and I started to say it, and I felt sick to my stomach. Because I was laughing at your misery, laughing at your injuries again, and I thought I loved you! Yet, I was laughing, and I felt so disgusted with myself, and...” Dakota was ranting now, and Tegan’s brain was rushing to process it all. Yet one thing stood out to her as she quickly cut off Dakota.

“Wait, what?” Tegan asks, her brain spluttering. Because there was no way that Dakota just said she loved her.

“What?” Dakota asks, her head tilting adorably in confusion, a trait of Tegan’s Dakota.

“What did you just say? Before that you were disgusted with yourself and laughing, what did you say?” Tegan questions, seeing Dakota start to mentally backtracking before blushing.

“Um...I meant platonically?” The way Dakota said it was more like a question than anything else, and Tegan knew she was scrambling. Maybe there was more of her Dakota in there than she thought, because the way she was blushing and hiding her face, Tegan knew it so well.

“Kota, if we’re gonna be friends again, we have to be honest here.” Tegan says, trying to coax it out of her.

“Teegs...I don’t know what I meant, okay?” Dakota sounded desperate. Tegan remained silent though, inviting Dakota to keep talking. “I...I’ve been in love with you for so long Tegan, at least I thought I have, but how can that be true? I tried to injure you, I laughed at you when you hurt, I can’t be in love with you! That’s not how you treat someone you love!” Dakota shouts, shaking her head and looking desperate, “But I can’t stop thinking about you Tegan, I can’t stop thinking about if I was in love with you, even if I know I can’t be.” Dakota sounded so sad, causing Tegan to instinctively reach out for her hand, grasping it naturally.

“Thinking about what?” Tegan asks quietly, wondering exactly what Dakota was thinking about.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ve come to terms with it, I want to, but I don’t love you,” Dakota says, sounding resigned, “Even if I did, you deserve better than me, a moody, emo bitch who snaps on the best friend she claims to love because she’s scared.”

“Kota, that’s up to me, so tell me what you’ve been thinking.” Tegan responds with a bit more force.

“It hasn’t been sexual...much,” Dakota says after a few seconds with another adorable blush on her face, “It’s mainly been about how nice it would feel to be able to lay my head on your shoulder, hold your hand, cuddle up to you at the end of the day and be able to keep each other warm,” Dakota had started in a murmur but she had started sounding louder and more confident, as long as a bit more wistful, “Muttered promises before we went to sleep and as we woke up together, good morning kisses and trying to get more sleep and cuddle time, adorable bed head and running my hands through it, being able to look over at you and see you as mine and be yours, it sounds so fantastic!”

Tegan couldn’t help but visualize Dakota’s scenarios, and she loved every second of them. She had always found Dakota adorable and attractive, and had maybe unconsciously wanted more. And hearing each of them spelled out, Tegan was hooked on every tantalizing word.

“But what does it matter?” Dakota says with a sad chuckle, “It doesn’t matter how nice it sounds, I’m not truly in love with you. Whoever falls for you, they’ll treat you like the superstar you are, and I haven’t. I’ve treated you like crap, injuring you, mocking you and laughing at your misfortune, I don’t deserve to love you.”

As Dakota said that, Tegan has worked her way up to sitting up, reaching out and grabbing Dakota’s shoulder in a comforting gesture.

“Kota, every word you said about what you thought about, it was so much of what I’ve wanted, even if I didn’t know it,” Tegan says, tears in her eyes.

“You could do so much better Teegs, you deserve so much better,” Dakota says sadly, ducking her head before Tegan reaches forward and tilts it up.

“I don’t think I can Dakota, look around, even when you were still that you, you came here to be here for me,” Tegan says, seeing a small and hopeful gleam in Dakota’s eyes. “I want you to be here for me, I want to wake up cuddled up to you, I want us to lay our heads on each other’s shoulders, I want us to hold hands, I want it all with you.”

“Are you sure Tegan? Because if I get you, I don’t intend to let you go again,” Dakota says a bit shyly, smiling at Tegan who nods.

“Good, because I won’t let you let me go this time, you’re gonna be stuck with me forever.” Tegan says, blushing while Dakota cracks a small grin. 

“Careful, I could always kick you in the face again,” She warns with a playful grin and confidence that was entirely the new her.

“You could, but you won’t. Because you aren’t that Dakota, she never would’ve showed up for me, she never would have confessed that to me.” Tegan says with a small smile on her face, “I don’t think you’re entirely the old Dakota though...I think you’re something entirely new,”

“I’m your Dakota,” She says before blushing. “I mean, if you want...”

“I want.” Tegan affirms, before giggling as Dakota, in a moment that surprises both of them, leans forward and quickly kisses her on the cheek, before leaning back with an adorable blush painting her face. “Come here, _my Dakota_ ,” Tegan says, moving herself over with a wince from her knee, wanting to be able to cuddle up with Dakota though.

“I could’ve just gone to your other side, so you wouldn’t have had to move,” Dakota says as she slowly sits and lays down next to Tegan, who wraps an arm around her to try and pull her in closer. 

“Yeah, but that side’s the bad one, and I don’t want you scared of hurting me,” Tegan responds, as Dakota cuddles up slightly closer to her. “I just want you right here.”

“You need your brave, strong, knight in shiny armor to keep you safe?” Dakota teases with a playful elbow to Tegan’s midsection, who giggles and elbows Dakota back. 

“I can barely walk, you saw what happened, I may need her to carry me around,” Tegan says with a playful and teasing grin as Dakota laughs and shakes her head. 

“We ain’t doing that again Princess, unless absolutely necessary,” Dakota says while sticking out her tongue, “I’ve never been the powerhouse, I only did it because you couldn’t walk.” 

“And I thank you for that, my brave and shiny knight,” Tegan says as she leans over and kissed Dakota on the cheek, causing the Kiwi’s face to light up adorably once again. “We’ll take it one day at a time, I’ve been walking mostly fine before that.” 

“That’s good, because I want you at one hundred percent Teegs, I don’t want to worry about hurting you during this,” Dakota admits as she looks over at her, “I want to be able to hold you and cuddle with you and maybe even...do other things with you without worrying about hurting you,” She continues, blushing again as she mentioned the ‘other things,’ causing the Welsh-Woman to blush similarly and chuckle. 

“Kota, you won’t hurt me, I promise. Whatever you did before, it isn’t you anymore, you said it yourself, you’re a new Dakota, you’re my Dakota, right?” 

“Right.” 

“Good, and I know my Dakota, someone who I’ve grown pretty fond of these last few minutes, wouldn’t hurt me, right?” Tegan asks, forceful and kind as she grins slightly over at her once again best friend and now probably more, who could only sheepishly grin in response. 

“Right, but I don’t want to mess up Tegan, I want this to be so perfect, because you deserve it,” Dakota admits, causing Tegan to blush this time as her face heated up. 

“We’re gonna make mistakes Dakota, this is all new to me too,” Tegan admits as she rolls over to her side to hold onto Dakota’s hands, “But I want to make them with you, and I want to make up for them with you too. I promise.” 

“Good, because I promise too. I promise I just want you,” Dakota says, smiling as she leans in and rests her head near Tegan’s, not leaning all the way in. 

“Good.” Tegan closes the gap and slowly presses her lips to Dakota’s. And maybe being injured didn’t suck so much after all.


End file.
